Unity Health inks deal with urgent care practice

Unity Health System has struck a deal with Rochester Immediate Care to assist in the urgent care practice’s management, Unity officials said Thursday.

A private, physician-owned practice, Rochester Immediate Care has facilities in Greece and Webster. Added management support from Unity would help the urgent care practice expand to new Rochester-area locations, said Wendy Wilts, Unity senior vice president for clinical service lines. Additional urgent care would help relieve pressures at emergency departments at Unity Hospital and other city hospitals, she added.

Unity runs a walk-in care center in Rochester at its St. Mary’s Campus complex. It also has instituted same-day appointments at its 13 system-owned primary care practices.

Expanding area urgent care services through partnering with an existing private urgent care practice would help Unity meet the goal outlined by Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency’s 2020 Performance Commission of reducing costly overuse of local EDs for non-emergency care, Wilts said. But it would put fewer strains on its finances than investing in bricks-and-mortar facilities.